This is the end of our review week. I’ll start a new concept tomorrow.

So what practices did you focus on this week? How did you do?

For me, it was focusing on kindness and respect in my speech. Mostly, I did OK, but I had a couple of moments of fussiness I’m still thinking through. Really low energy is problematic for me, as is anxiety/fear. My tone of voice changes and I’m not as calm and nice as I could be.

I need to continue to focus on how I speak, deal with my fears, and take good care of myself. I’m still recovering from surgery and several weeks of being sick. My energy reserves are quite low and it’s easy to bottom out. Winter is tough (very little sunshine and lots of white) and I need more creative outlets. (I did get some yarn to start a baby afghan for a friend of mine. She just found out she’s expecting. Surprise package!)

I think the thing that is mostly in my face is how important it is to take care of myself. It’s hard to be a good spouse when I’m running on empty. That’s not to excuse the choices I make, really, but to acknowledge how hard it is to make better choices when I’m out of fuel.

Being a better spouse for me includes taking better care of myself.

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I’ve been reading Finish by Jon Acuff, Atomic Habits by James Clear, and The 12 Week Year by Moran & Lennigton and I say two thumbs up for each of them.

These are very encouraging books that can help you plan and take steps in the direction you want to go. All the authors are great storytellers, so they are fun reads (or you could get the audio version and listen while you exercise, do housework, or drive).

Here’s a challenging excerpt.

Your current actions are creating your future. If you want to know what your future holds, look to your actions; they are the best predictor of your future. You want to predict your future health, look at your current eating and exercise habits. You want to predict the health of your marriage, look at your interactions with your spouse. You want to predict your career path and future income, look at the actions you take each business day. Your actions tell the story.  Brian P Moran & Michael Lennigton, The 12 Week Year

Yup, gonna finish up these books.

• What books are you reading?
• How are they impacting your life and marriage?

This is a sleeping kit in my doe barn (tummy full of fodder and feed). A backup doe turned out to be a backup buck. He knocked up all my does, and now I’m drowning in kits. Not a bad problem (and rather lovely during this gray and white season). I just have to be more careful about temperatures for them. Ah, life on the homestead. 🙂

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One thing I should have mentioned from the beginning is the importance of prayer.

We need for God to teach us and change our hearts and understanding. He is doing a work in us, and we need to agree with Him and work with Him in the process.

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.  Philippians 1:6  ESV

I will try to remember to start each week with a prayer. (If I miss it, or you just want to, please add a prayer in the comments.)  🙂  Let’s give God honor and glory for His work in us.

You may also want to pray daily for your marriage and/or add prayers to your journaling. If you have trouble remembering to pray, tie it to a habit you already have, like pray while you are making the bed or when you’re brushing your teeth (God understands toothpaste talk). Sticky notes are helpful too.

(You do not have to be a Christian to read this blog, however, I am a Christian and there will be prayers, scriptures, and such throughout. Please be respectful of the Christian culture on this blog and in the comments. Thanks.)

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My sweetie fixes me coffee each morning. One morning, I looked up to see this on my cup.

We had run out of sweetener and picked up some little packets at a quick-stop store. They came with little messages, so I’ve been getting cute notes with my coffee each morning.

I share this to remind y’all that kindnesses don’t have to be huge and take a lot of work. They can be small and doable with items you have on hand.  A word or a hug can be huge too.

Questions for today.

• Are you respectful of your spouse’s time and energy?
• What kind of thoughts are bouncing around in your head? How do they play out in your words and actions?
  

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I’ve recommended a few books and will continue to recommend more as we go along.

My point in today’s post is to be thoughtful when reading and keep your brain in gear.

I will only recommend books that I think are basically solid, but no book (other than the Bible) is free of misinformation or error. It’s that ol’ human thing where we’re not perfect, and we can’t have perfect knowledge.

Aside from the possibility of error, not every book is for everyone in every season of life and marriage. Experimenting with what you read to see if it will work for you is wisdom. Swallowing everything whole without really thinking it through can trip you up.

So please do check out the books I recommend … then give it some thought whether they’re a good fit for you, and, if you buy, consider the content as you go along (compare everything to the Word).

‘Nuf said.

And here’s a peek into my world. What is that mysterious glowing orb in the sky?

A little sunshine is such a welcome sight in my neck of the woods. It’s not spring yet, but there is hope. I’m already gathering seeds and making plans for the vegetable garden.  🙂

And here are a couple questions for today.

• • If someone were watching you and your spouse interact, would they say you treat him/her kindly and respectfully?
  • What words or actions do you need to work on?

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Recently I mentioned a book called Choosing Civility. I bought the book because it sounded interesting and it only cost me $1.99.

I have an account with BookBub.com. I tell them what kind of books I’m interested in, and they send me a daily email with a list of free-to-cheap e-books that are available.

I also get freebie e-books on my phone through the Libby library app. Check to see if you can access your library’s selections and read for free (audiobooks too!).

Education doesn’t have to be expensive. 🙂

And a few questions for your day …

• What one small kind thing can you do for your spouse and make it a habit in your day? (My sweetie makes me coffee every morning.)
• What does your spouse need to know that you haven’t shared with them?
• How well do you listen when your spouse speaks?

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